Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Keeping your feet warm!

What does everyone do to keep your feet warm when it feel like its -40 degrees Fahrenheit or Celsius since it equals on the thermometer. Or even when it's around freezing?

-40F is cold no doubt, hell -20F is cold!

Really 'cold' days here I wear a newish pair of heavyweight Swartwool socks along with pac boots. The newer the sock the warmer it will be. They get thinner/colder with age.

A real good hat, double layers works best. The head will always draw heat from the extremities - hands and feet first. You'll never know your head is cold because it continues to draw heat from everywhere else. In the old days men and women wore stocking hats and kerchiefs - not to keep their head warm but to keep their feet warm.

Remember the "Night Before Christmas" - And mamma in her kerchief, and I in my cap, had just settled down for a long winters nap". It was to keep their feet warm, not their head.

Whatever happened to the old moon boots? Haven't seen any in years.

KC

if I"m thinking right on what moon boots are, they were really simple and kept the feet really warm.

The best for very cold endurance: VBs [vapor barrier]..often called "bunny boots" in the white version or "mickey mouse boots" in the black version.

Some of the Iditarod mushers are switching to felt boots inside NEOs......

Both of the above are very warm and will handle some wet conditions as in overflow.

^ what he said


or the other thing that works well sans the overflow/wet is fur mukluks

it has to be -30 or better for me to wear mine and I'd best not plan on going inside with them on to warm up.


fur really is one of the best insulators ime

Moon boots are still on the market. Color selections are big. They're too soft for serious hiking but there's no doubt that they're warm.
I don't know about the new ones, but the old ones wrapped the feet in soft foam.

Very interesting.

Always seems like the trickiest part is balancing activity level, not getting too hot and sweating versus being too cold. You really have to pace yourself when it's cold outside, just like when it's hot outside.

If you've got the $$$ you can go with a good pair of mountaineering boots like these.


http://www.rei.com/product/798038/scarpa-mont-blanc-gtx-mountaineering-boots-mens

When I was learning about winter outdoor activities, I was taught that if your feet get cold, put on a hat. That's because 75% of your blood and warmth and oxygen that goes with it, is pumped through your neck to your brain. So if you keep your head and neck warm, there's more warmth to be shared with the rest of your body.

KC

I always keep my down vest or down jacket in my pack on my way out to the stand, and put it on when I arrive. If I have a lot of layers on, besides having my jacket open, I'll reach up and pull my hat off until I get to the stand or blind - even in single digits. My head doesn't get cold because it's keeping itself warm but it keeps me from overheating.

Arid Spray deodorant antiperspirant helps too. If your feet sweat a bunch, the moisture will quickly cool them. If you're planning on. Living a bit, don't go over-insulated. Too much will cause sweat, and cold feet. I like 200 gram boots with Merino wool socks of at least 65% wool content.

Wools socks and LaCross Icemans when it's below 0* F. I have Kamiks for warmer temps and deep snow. But always wools socks.

Plenty of room and lots of fabric inside the boot. Slightly oversize pacs with felt liners and a couple of pairs of wool socks. Sorels and Whites are in my closet at the moment. The Whites can be rebuilt if the bottoms wear out.

Pull the liners and dry both the boots interior surfaces and liners each night. If one can't leave the liners and socks by a fire/stove, bring them into ones sleeping bag each evening. Also pull the liners at the end of ones trip to prevent any mold/mildew issues. Ones feet should stay dry and warm, but there is condensation on the interior surfaces of ones pacs.

I've not looked them up, but remember seeing what we called Lil Abner boots at guard stations during the Korean winters. Seems they were rubber and inflatable. I don't suspect they'd do well for hiking, but the MP's doing gate duty near always had them on. We were temporary duty and simply had to tough it out with layers of our regular Navy duds. Anyone here ever pull duty over there that could enlighten us?

I've got three pairs of boots to cover between freezing and coldr'n hell. I get cold feet faster than most so they are all rated for colder than the actual conditions. Choice of which pair depends on conditions and activity level. Pac boots for the coldest, don't know about -40 but no cold feet sitting on ice for a couple hours at -20F waiting for a fish to swim by.

I've tried getting by with fewer and supplementing with socks or booties but that's not worked out very well. Either the boots end up too tight which is uncomfortable, constricts blood flow, or compacts the insulation which kills its effectiveness; or the extra insulation is so little it doesn't help much anyway.

Pulling the liners for the night is necessary, moisture kills insulation value. If your feet get sweaty changing socks during the day can work wonders.

A good pair of DRY boots and some Hot Hands they last 10 to 12 hours.I lived in northern minnesota all 64 years of my life and these really work.They make a sock with a little pocket in the toes for holding a hotty.I have run skidders at 20 below or colder with and with out hottys ,I won't go without hottys any more.When I come from work the wife likes to put them in her slippers,just to keep her toes warm.I buy large boxes in the spring on clearance for the next winter. I keep some in my pickup and car just in case I need them.O.I.Dabble

Disposable air activated heated insoles for cold weather stand hunting.

I can't stand them to do any lengthy walking with them in my boots.......too dang hot!!

If I hunted in Missouri in stead of northern Minnesota I would ware sandals...

we have a guy in our hunt club in va. that never wears shoes. he hunts bare foot.

I installed radiant heat in the concrete slab.